Because of Hunter Nero
by BooksBeforeLife
Summary: Nero and Raven's life after Hunter was born. Sequel to Affair. This will probably make more sense if you read that first.
1. Chapter 1

**Raven's POV**

I haven't slept in a month. H.I.V.E. relocated a week ago to a different volcano and no one can really notice the difference. Hunter is now one month old. She cries _every _night.

I pick her up and cradle her against my shoulder. I pat her back and make a soothing voice. "Shhh," I soothe, "It's okay. Mommy's here. You better not be hungry 'cause I fed you an hour ago and you don't have a dirty diaper. Why are you crying?"

She spits up on my shoulder. "That's why you were crying," I mutter. I rock her a bit longer until she falls asleep. I place her back in her crib and put on a new T-shirt.

I check the time- 5:30. No way I'll be able to go back to sleep and wake up at 7:00. I sit at my desk and read a book until my alarm goes off.

I grab a bottle of formula and pick Hunter up. Her eyes are an exact match to mine and she has a few blond curls like Max had when he was younger.

I walk out of my room, down the hall, and knock on Pike's door. He groggily opens it and I hand him the formula and Hunter.

"You said you'd watch her while I train with Wing," I remind him and he nods. I turn and hurry down to the training center.

Wing's already there and I toss him a baton. "Have you ever fought with these before?" I ask him and he shakes his head. "Well, in that case, try not to hit yourself in the face."

He frowns and I begin. The lesson is the same as always until the end. Laura Brand approaches us and warily says, "Um, Professor Pike told me to bring this to you." She hands me my daughter.

"What the hell is wrong with him?!" I take Hunter from her and ask her, "Did he tell you why he wouldn't take care of her?"

"He said he had to teach a class," she informs me.

"_I_ had to teach, too," I mutter under my breath. "Wing, we have to cut this wonderful lesson short so I can go murder Pike."

Laura and Wing walk away, chatting, and I walk up to my rooms. I see Pike walking down the hall before he sees me.

"Oh, yes, you had a 'class'," I frown at him. "I've slept five hours in the past week and I ask you to take care of Hunter for _three _hours! Is that too much to ask!?"

"Natalya? You've only slept five hours? Do you want me to watch her tonight?" Max approaches us.

"You should've watched her more than this," I snap, "She's your daughter too. I'm the only one who's watched her!"

"I'll do it, Natalya," Max reassures me. "How hard can it be?"

I chuckle at his stupidity. "Oh, you have no idea."

**I hope you liked how I started this! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Nero's POV**

What had I gotten myself into? Hunter cried _seven_ times last night. Now, I'm in my classroom, waiting for Raven to come pick her up.

"Is that Raven's daughter?" Laura Brand asks me and I nod. "What's her name?"

"Hunter," I tell her. "You know, I always wanted a child, but I thought I was too old. Now, I have her."

"You mean figuratively," Laura corrects me. "She's not really your daughter."

"Yeah, sure," it's a pathetic lie and everyone knows it.

The class goes silent until some dumbass wolf whistles. "Way to get some Dr. N!"

"Only a _complete_ idiot would say something _that_ insulting about not only the _head_ of G.L.O.V.E. but the world's _deadliest _assassin," Shelby Trinity snaps at him after a minute. He goes deathly pale.

"You didn't really think this one through, did you?" Otto Malpense mocks him.

"Can I hold her?" Shelby asks me and I hand her the baby.

"She's so cute!" Laura leans over and taps Hunter's nose.

Raven walks in just then, and sees the girls playing with Hunter. "What the hell, Max!?" she scolds as she snatches Hunter from them, "Don't let _that_ on near my daughter!" She motions to Shelby.

"I was the one who defended your honor," Shelby explains and Raven whips around.

"_Why _were you defending me?" she glares daggers into the poor Alpha.

From the other side of the room, I'm glaring at her. "I . . . um . . . we," she starts pathetically, then sighs. "Some kid said something rude about you and Dr. Nero."

"And which kid was this?" Natalya interrogates.

Shelby motions to the kid. Natalya hands me the baby and walks over to him. "_What_ did you say about me?"

"N-nothing," his face becomes even paler than before.

Raven pulls out a remote and presses a button. She hears what I said and in result, what he said.

For a moment she shoots me a look but it quickly disappears. "If you ever," she's really in his face now, "Say anything rude about Dr. Nero again, I will not hesitate to rip your throat out."

Hunter starts crying in my arms and Raven looks over. "She must be hungry. I should take care of that," she walks over to me and takes Hunter out of my arms. "Trinity, you and Fanchu are training with me after this class." With that, she walks out.

**Raven's POV**

I finish buttoning up my top just as Wing and Shelby walk in for their training. I toss them each a wooden sword. "Fight each other."

They start and I point out everything they do wrong. "Trinity, you forget to block your nondominant side! Wing, loosen your grip on the sword!"

I look at them and see them doing quite a bit wrong. "This isn't good. Wing, put the sword down. I'm sparring with Trinity."

I hand him Hunter, and tell him how to hold her. Then, I pick up his sword and fight with Trinity. When I deem her acceptable, I hand her sword to Wing.

"Now, Shelby, when you hold a baby, you have to cup their head. Cradle her against your chest and-" she cuts me off.

"You pretty much just handed her to Wing but you're going through every little thing with me! I know how to take care of a baby too!"

"Fine," I raise my arms in defeat and get into a fighting stance.

"EW EW EW!" Shelby exclaims a few minutes later. "She spit up on me!"

"It's about time," I mutter, "Since you know so much about babies, Shelby, why don't you take care of it?"

"Yeah, okay," she murmurs.

I roll my eyes and keep fighting, just waiting for her to need my help.

"I did it!" I turn to look at her and Wing hits my side.

"You did?" I ask her and she nods enthusiastically.

"Congratulations, Trinity. You have just earned my respect," I tell her.

"Really!? You don't hate me anymore!?" she's practically jumping up and down with excitement.

"I hate you slightly less than I used to, if that's what you mean," I inform her.

"I'll take it!"

I chuckle softly. "You're dismissed."

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	3. Chapter 3

**Nero's POV**

"Max! Open up," Raven pounds on the door to my office. I sigh. I suppose this had to happen eventually.

I swing open the door and she stomps in. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" she screams at me.

"Natalya, I clearly wasn't thinking! I'm sorry," I raise my hands in defeat.

"How could you be so stupid!? You're a criminal mastermind," she yells.

"Natalya, please, calm down. I have an idea," I start. I wrap my arms around her waist. "There is a big G.L.O.V.E. meeting this weekend. We could go and stay at a fancy hotel. Just you and me."

"Hunter is only a month old! I can't leave her alone," she defends.

"Exactly, Natalya, we haven't done _anything_ in the past two months," I remind her. "We could get a babysitter."

"All the teachers refuse to do it," she says.

"We could have a student do it and give them extra credit," I kiss her cheek, hoping she'll see things from my perspective.

"Trinity and Fanchu did prove themselves capable today . . ." she trails off. "Fine. We can let them do it."

"I'll summon them to my office," I tell her and look at my Blackbox. "H.I.V. , tell Wing Fanchu and Shelby Trinity to report to my office immediately."

I look at Raven and smile. "You're beautiful when you're worried."

She shrugs and sits next to me. I scoot my chair closer to hers and she instantly turns to me. I lean in close to her and tackle her lips with mine.

She gets out of her chair and moves onto my lap. She's still holding Hunter in between us.

Suddenly, the door swings open and she jumps- ready to fight. "EW! EW! EW!" Shelby shrieks. "I knew it was happening so why is this so bad for me? Wing, hold me."

Wing awkwardly pats her back but looks just as uncomfortable. This is going to be fun.

**Raven's POV**

Max gestures for them to sit and they do. "We haven't done anything wrong this week," Shelby instantly defends.

"Well, on Tuesday we did-" Wing starts.

"Okay, fine, I guess that was a bit inappropriate but-"

"What did you do on Tuesday?" I ask them.

"Nothing!" they say in unison. It's very unconvincing.

"I'm starting to second guess-" Max cuts me off.

"We need to talk to you about something," Max starts. "We have to go away this weekend. There is a very important G.L.O.V.E. meeting and we need a babysitter."

"It'll give you extra credit points in your worst three classes," I add.

"WE'LL DO IT!" Shelby says. I guess my extra credit idea did the trick.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Raven's POV**

"So, we're staying in a beach house?" I ask Max.

"Yeah," he tells me. "It's really nice."

"Okay," I say. "How far is it from here?"

"Two minutes," he replies.

"Good," I smile and lean back in my chair.

We arrive quickly and I grab my duffel bag. I walk into the house and look around. It's average size but beautiful.

"Max, look at the bedroom," I call to him. "It's amazing!"

One wall is all windows with curtains which are kind-of see through. There are two bedside tables and the blankets, pillows, and sheets are beige. The bed is king size. There is a bathroom attached to it.

"It really is beautiful," he smiles.

I fall onto the bed and sigh. Memory foam. Max gets on the bed and puts one knee on each side of me. "Wanna have some fun?" he asks.

"What time is the council meeting tomorrow?" I ask him.

"3:00," he replies.

"Yeah,okay," he leans over a kisses my neck. "These windows make me feel exposed."

"Don't worry," he reassures me, "No one will come within twenty yards of this beach house."

"Was it just me or did the woman who sold us the condoms seem a little weird to you?" he asks me.

"No. She was definitely disturbed," I tell him. "Can you blame her? You could easily be my father. She probably thought I was a gold digger and you were a pervert."

"Natalya, please, don't remind me about the age difference. I know I'm thirty-five years older than you," he says. "I don't need to be reminded."

"Yeah, sorry," I arch my back a bit. "You know I love you anyway."

"Thank you." He moves his kisses to my lips and I start fiddling with the buttons on his shirt.

"Mmm, hold on" I sit up and grab my Blackbox.

"What?" he asks.

"I have to check on Hunter," I tell him and he groans.

"Natalya, I'm sure she's fine. We've been gone for five hours," He leans against the wall.

"Max, this is our daughter. I've known her for one month and I already love her more than anyone I've ever known," I stare at him. "I suppose I've known her for about ten months, if you count the pregnancy and the fact we don't know exactly _when_ she was conceived. But we left her with two villainous teenagers."

He sighs but doesn't say anything.

"There. I sent it," I tell him. "I'm sorry. We can go back to what we're doing." I fall backwards and he smiles.

**Shelby's POV**

"Is she still alive and relatively unharmed?" Wing reads the message from his Blackbox.

"Do you think she was talking about me or the baby?" I ask him. "Because I'm fine."

"Shelby, how the hell do you lose a baby?!" Laura yells at me.

"I don't know," I defend. "I just put her down for a second and then she was gone!"

"Raven will kill you!" Laura tells me. "Dr. Nero will help her with it!"

"Who will Raven be killing?" Franz and Nigel approach us.

"Yeah," Otto walks up. "Who deserves that fate?"

"Thing one and thing two," Laura gestures to Wing and me. "Somehow managed to lose Hunter."

"Hunter as in Hunter Nero?" Otto asks. "You lost the child of the only people in the world who could have your head on a platter by snapping their fingers?"

Hearing it aloud makes it so much worse. "OH MY GOD, I'M GOING TO DIE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH!" I scream, drawing the attention of everyone in the hallway.

"Trinity, Fanchu, Malpense, Brand, Argentblum, and Darkdoom, my office. NOW," Ms. Leon peeks her head out of her office.

"What was so important that you attracted the attention of the whole hallway," she asks us.

"Nothing," four of us say in unison.

"Mr. Darkdoom and Mr. Fanchu, do you have anything to say about this?" she interrogates.

"Stay strong, big guy," I squeeze Wing's knee. "Stay strong for me."

"Look, if you don't tell me, I'll call Raven and Dr. Nero and personally tell them that something is up with the six of you," she claims.

"NO!" I grab the side of my chair and sigh. "Well, we-"

"When Shelby says we, she means herself and WIng. The rest of us had nothing to do with this," Laura clarifies.

"Thank you, Laura," I give her the glare of death. "As I was saying, Wing and I were babysitting Hunter and she kind of . . . well . . . disappeared."

"Oh, dear God," Ms. Leon shakes her head. "What have I gotten myself into?"

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	5. Chapter 5

**Wing's POV**

"Shelby, calm down," I put my hand on Shelby's shoulder.

"You certainly cannot calm down," Ms. Leon says. "You lost the child of the most dangerous man and woman in the world! How do you lose a baby? She can't even crawl!"

"I don't know," Shelby starts hyperventilating.

"Shel, deep breaths," Laura reminds her. "Don't listen to Ms. Leon. You have to calm down or we'll never find her."

"Okay, you need to split up to find her," Mrs. Leon takes charge. "Otto and Laura, you will look in the kitchen and cafeteria. Franz, Nigel, you check the classrooms. Wing and Shelby, you look in the training center. I'll check everywhere else."

"Okay," Shelby's breathing is starting to slow. "Okay, let's go."

We all hurry out of the room and to the area we have to search. "Wing, what if we can't find her?" Shelby squeezes my hand.

I shrug. "We tell Raven and Dr. Nero and they'll find her. It's not like she could've left the school."

"How can you be so calm and collected?" Shelby leans into me.

I lean down so I can look into her eyes. I'm quite a bit taller than her, so it feels kind of weird, but I do it anyway.

"Knowing that I'll have my friends and family on my side," I whisper, as I lean in to kiss her.

She instantly kisses me back and I pull her closer to me. She runs her fingers through my long hair and slips her tongue into my mouth. I love this feeling.

"Ahem," someone clears their throat behind us. We quickly break apart and turn to see Colonel Francisco, holding a baby.

"If you're not too busy, I think I found what you're supposed to be looking for," he hands Hunter to Shelby.

"OH MY GOD," she squeals. "Thank you so much! You literally just saved my life!"

**Nero's POV**

"Max, wake up," Raven shakes my shoulders and my eyes flutter open. She's wearing white shorts, a blue tank top, and is barefoot. "You slept in really late. I made you a late lunch."

I groggily get out of bed and dress myself for the council meeting. "I'm gonna take a shower," Raven tells me, "I already ate."

She walks into the bathroom and the automatic sprinklers go off. "What the-" she starts and I walk in the kitchen.

She stomps out after me. "You left the pan on the stove," I inform her. "It caught on fire."

"_This_ is why I don't cook," she frowns.

"It's fine," I tell her. "Just go take your shower."

She does and I eat my burnt grilled cheese. Why she needed the stove for that, I don't know.

When she returns, she's wearing her usual black jumpsuit. We pack up our stuff and head out to the van.

Within minutes, we're at the meeting place for the council meeting. "Raven, you can wait over by the elevators. Just act like you're reading a magazine or something."

"Max! Raven!" a former Alpha named Jared. "So glad I could see you before the meeting! So, Raven, how's the baby?"

A look of genuine surprise crosses her face. "The baby?" she asks, as if she didn't know what he was talking about.

"Max told me the reason you wouldn't go on any missions for a while was because you were pregnant. You're obviously not anymore," he replies.

"Max told you that?" she shoots me a glance. "Well, Hunter's fine."

"What last name did you give her?" he asks.

She looks at me with fury. "Well, since I've never known my last name it only made sense to give her the father's last name- Nero."

"Natalya! Jared does not need to know that information," I scold.

"Well, you go around telling everyone under the sun," she looks really mad. "I thought I might as well!"

"Br. N, you sure are getting lu-" I push him against the wall and press a katana against his throat.

"You're in the G.L.O.V.E. ruling council, dumbass! Show some respect," she hisses. I pull her off him.

"I feel like I'm in a bit over my head," he gulps loudly. "I should be going."

"I think that would be best," I advise.

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	6. Chapter 6

**Raven's POV**

I step out of the Shroud refusing to look at Max. Shelby and Wing are waiting in the hangar bay with Hunter, though, and that brightens my day a bit.

"Mommy missed you," I whisper to Hunter as I cradle her in my arms. I turn my attention back to Shelby and Wing. "Did everything run smoothly?" I check over Hunter to make sure she isn't injured.

"No. It was fine," Shelby smiles a bit.

"Can I hold her?" Max asks me and I hand her to him without saying a word.

"Trouble in paradise," I hear Shelby whisper to Wing as they walk away.

"Will you please talk to me?" Max gives Hunter back to me and crosses his arms.

"No, Max, I'm pissed off at you," I growl at him. "It's not okay! You can't go around acting like I'm your helpless, trophy girlfriend!"

"Natalya, you were the one who announced that it was _my_ baby! I just said that you had a baby," he defends.

"People make snap judgements," I argue. "Plus, I have very few weaknesses and you know it. If everyone knows that I have a freaking daughter, I have a major weakness!"

"A weakness that we will bear together," he snaps. "If you give me the cold shoulder, this won't be together."

I sigh. "You're right, but you really do have to stop telling the world."

He nods. "I know. I'm really sorry, Natalya."

I give him a kiss before saying, "Go run your school. Hunter must be hungry for real breast milk, after two days of the nonsense you feed her."

He chuckles and I walk away.

**Nero's POV**

"How was the G.L.O.V.E. meeting?" Professor Pike asks me.

"It's been better," I frown.

"That's too bad," he says.

"Don't worry. I fixed it," I tell him.

"That's good," Pike rises from his chair. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I don't think so," I says. "You can leave."

My Blackbox beeps as he walks towards the door, and I see a video call from Raven. "Yes, Natalya?"

"Max," her voice is quavering a bit. "There's something wrong with Hunter."

**I know this chapter was pretty boring, but I hope you liked it anyway. Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Nero's POV**

I run in the Raven's room. "What happened!?"

"Hunter was crying, and so I tried to feed her again. But it didn't work, so I tried to burp her, but she still wouldn't stop crying. Then I realized that she had a fever, and she passed out," Raven says in one breath. "She hasn't woken up yet!"

"Let's take her to the medical bay," I reopen the door and she rushes out. I try to keep up with her as she runs through the halls, but she's much younger and faster than me. She gets to the medical bay about a minute before me.

When I catch up with her, she's sitting in a chair in the waiting room. She wipes a tear from her eye. I sit down next to her.

"Max, I'm scared," she leans against me and I put my arm around her.

"She'll be okay," I'm trying to reassure myself more than her.

Raven starts crying and I hug her head to my chest. "Shhh." I stroke her hair.

"Oh my god, Otto, you're such an idiot," Laura Brand hobbles in the room with Otto Malpense. "I think you broke my leg!"

"I said I was sorry," Otto mutters. "It was an accident!"

Laura sits in a chair and puts her foot up. Then, Otto notices us, "Hey, Dr. Nero. Raven. Why are you guys here?"

"Yeah," Laura says. "Is everything okay?"

"Our daughter is sick," I tell them. Raven punches me in the chest. "Don't pretend they don't know!"

"Oh, she is? It must be really bad since . . ." Laura gestures to Raven, crying into my shirt.

"We think so," I frown and keep stroking Raven's hair.

"Shut up," Raven growls.

**Raven's POV**

"Dr. Nero, Raven," the doctor comes into the waiting room. I pull away from Max and look at him. "Hunter is very unstable and will need surgery."

I strangled sound comes out of my mouth. "She's hardly two-months-old."

"She has a very rare condition that a child gets while in the womb. It's happens when the infant's mother is in dirty place and doesn't have access to much food during the late stages of pregnancy," the doctor informs us.

Tears pour down my face and I cover my mouth to keep from making a horrible sound. "It's my fault!"

"You can't blame yourself for getting kidnapped," Max reassures me.

"I can blame myself for getting knocked up," I mutter.

"No, you can't," Max says.

"Yes, I can! I could've used birth control," I argue.

"I could've used condoms," he insists.

"You know, hearing it aloud makes me wonder how it didn't happen sooner," I say..

"I'm gonna go start surgery," the doctor walks away awkwardly. I see Otto and Laura focusing on the floor.

I roll my eyes. "Don't pretend you're not listening to this conversation."

They look up. "Sorry," Laura shifts her leg. "Otto, I seriously think you broke my foot."

"Let me see it." I walk over and touch her foot. I feel the bones. "It's probably fractured."

"How do you know that?" she asks me.

"The glasshouse," I shrug.

"What's that?"

"A horrible place, run by horrible people," I tell her. "I was raised there. They have threatened H.I.V.E. many times. You've met Pietor Furan."

"I hate him! He raised you?" she says.

"Kind of."

"Raven," Otto starts. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get involved with H.I.V.E.?"

"I was sent to assassinate Dr. Nero," I tell him. "It didn't work out well."

"Clearly," Otto scoffs. "You're married."

"Is that a joke?" I ask. "Because no, we're not."

"Yeah, it was," Otto says.

"It wasn't funny," Max says.

". . .Yeah, sorry," Otto looks away.

"I'm sorry that Hunter is sick because of you," Otto's voice is barely a whisper.

"It's not her fault," Max insists.

_But it is . . ._

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	8. Chapter 8

**Raven's POV**

"You can see her now," the doctor tells Max and me. "She's out of surgery."

I stand up and follow the doctor into a small room at the end of the hall. Hunter is in a crib, sleeping.

I run over and scoop her up. I cradle her to my chest and kiss her nose. "You scared the shit out of me," I whisper to her even though she can't hear me.

Max takes her from my arm and kisses her forehead. "My baby girl," I hear him whisper.

"Do you want her to stay with you tonight?" I ask him and he nods. "Good, because I have to train with Wing in a few minutes."

"Have fun."

**Nero's POV**

"Due to the slide show I just showed you, it is clear that offense is the best defense," I finish my lecture just as the bell rings. "Read pages 287- 296 between now and your next class."

I pick Hunter up from her crib in the back of the room as my class exits. "Dr. Nero," I hear someone behind me say.

I turn around and see Laura Brand standing behind me. "Yes, Ms. Brand?"

She shifts on her crutches nervously. Raven was right. Her foot is broken. "I think there's a problem with some of the grapplers in the training center." She leans on one of her crutches. "You know that Otto broke my foot?"

"Yes, you mentioned that," I tell her.

"Well, Colonel Francisco was having us use the grapplers while fairly close to the floor. Otto rarely falls, but he did this time. He says that he couldn't get his grappler to fire. I was standing too close to the track and he fell on my foot," she informs me.

"Thank you, Ms. Brand," I say. "I'll have someone take a look at that. I take the safety of my students very seriously."

"Of course," she nods at me and hobbles out.

Then I hear a familiar voice say, "Hello, Max."

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	9. Chapter 9

**Raven's POV**

"Raven," Colonel Francisco calls as I walk through the training center. "Come here for a minute."

I see him with a class and walk over. "Yes?"

"Would you help me with this class today?" he asks.

"Sure. I don't have anything better to do," I shrug.

"Good," he turns his attention back to the class. "Today, we'll be playing a simple game of dodgeball. Raven and I versus you."

Eyebrows shoot up throughout the room. "My foot is broken," Laura says. "Can I sit out?"

"If you must," Colonel Francisco shoos her away. "Everyone else, huddle up and make a plan."

"This is not being fair," Franz complains loudly.

"I like my face the way it is," another girl says.

"It's two against thirty. You have the upperhand," Colonel Francisco points out.

They decide on a plan in seconds and Colonel Francisco blows the whistle. Balls immediately start flying from both sides of the room. I catch one ball with each hand and hurl them onto the other side of the court, both direct hits. In less than a minute, it's just me and Colonel Francisco.

"That was pathetic," he crosses his arms at the group. "You lasted fifty-three seconds. You did not catch one ball."

They all look embarrassed. "New plan," Colonel Francisco starts. "Since you are not cut out for a completely unfair dodgeball game, you will be split into teams. Raven's team versus my team. Raven, you can pick first."

"Wing," I say.

"Trinity," Colonel Francisco jerks his finger behind him.

We go on like that until the only people left are Franz and Nigel.

"Franz," I cross my arms and my team walks to their side. "Let's win this thing."

**Nero's POV**

"Maria?" I turn around. "Is that really you?" She nods. "I saw Anastasia kill you." I just shake my head to myself. "What are you doing here?"

"I came back for you, Max," she smiles at me. "I still love you. Who's baby is that, anyway?"

"Um . . . this is my daughter," I say quietly.

Maria's face hardens. "Who is she, Max? I _will_ kill her!"

"Maria, I've never doubted your skills, but believe me when I tell you that you would die trying," I frown. "Maria, I loved you when we were teenagers. I thought you died. I moved on."

"Fine, but let me meet her," she crosses her arms. "I want to meet the person who could beat me."

"Maria, you're sixty-two. Remember that," I tell her. "And I don't think it would be a good idea for you to meet her."

"Bring me to her or I will murder everyone in this school," she scowls.

"Fine," I say. "You're different than you used to be. Now, you're violent. It's not a good look for you."

"I'm an assassin. What did you expect?"

I just frown and take her to the training center.

"Maria?" Pike asks. "Is that you?"

"Theo? Oh my god, you look so different," she smiles at him.

Pike looks at me strangely. "Things are probably awkward for you."

"Professor Pike, will you help me with this?" Laura Brand sneaks up behind us.

"Ms. Brand, shouldn't you be in class?" I ask.

"Colonel Francisco said I could leave because of my leg," she informs me. Then she sees Maria. "Hi, I'm Laura."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Maria," Maria smiles at her.

"Come on, Laura, I'll help you," Pike and Laura walk away from us and we continue on our way to the training center.

"Natalya," I call to her. She turns away from the game of dodgeball and starts walking toward me. The game stops behind her.

"Did anyone know her name was Natalya?" one of the students asks.

"Yeah," Otto Malpense says.

"Well, that's because you and your groupies are always getting yourself into trouble and she has to save your ass."

"Woah, woah, woah," Shelby Trinity silences the class. "I am not a groupie. If anything, Otto is my groupie."

"So that's her," Maria whispers to me. "Pervert."

"Shut up," I growl.

"Max, is everything okay?" she asks.

"Yes, everything is fine," I tell her. "I just wanted you to meet someone. This is Maria."

"I'm Raven," Raven's tone is cold. "How do you know Max?"

"I was his first love," she says. "No one ever really gets over their first love."

Raven's body becomes tense. "Yeah, well I'm the mother of his child."

"Natalya," I touch her shoulder. "Calm down."

"No, I won't," she crosses her arms. "This woman is a bitch. I don't want to deal with her! I just had a baby!"

"Natalya, you should take a deep breath and cool off," I keep my tone steady.

Hunter starts crying and Raven frowns. "She's probably hungry. I'll take care of that." She unzips the first few inches of her jumpsuits and takes Hunter from my arms. She turns away and walks back to the dodgeball game.

"She doesn't love you," Maria crosses her arms. "She's what twenty-three?"

"Twenty-nine," I correct.

"Whatever. You have power. That's the only reason she's staying with you."

I frown at her. "You're wrong. You don't know her."

"You don't have to believe me," she crosses her arms. "But I'm right. I'll let myself out."

I just stare at her, gaping, as she walks away.

**Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Nero's POV**

"Hey, Max," Raven slips into my office.

"Hello, Natalya," I smile up at her. She really is beautiful. Her hair piercing eyes make her dark hair look like it shines and she has an hourglass figure. She's very pale and it makes her features stand out.

She sits on my lap and kisses me. "I just put Hunter down for a nap."

"Oh," my mouth twitches into a smile. "Did you?"

She nods and kisses me again. I tilt my head sideways to deepen the kiss. Her legs straddle my hips.

This really is paradise. A newborn daughter and a beautiful lover . . . _She doesn't love you_, Maria's words pop into my head. _Power. That's the only reason she's staying with you._

I pull away and Raven tilts her head sideways. "Is something wrong?"

I shake my head. "No. It doesn't matter."

"You sure?" she asks.

"Yes. I'm fine, Natalya."

She wraps her hand around the back of my neck and kisses me again. Her lips part and her tongue sneaks it's way into my mouth.

_She's what? Twenty-three?_

I pull away again and somehow manage to push her off me. She looks confused and I somehow find my words, "Natalya, this isn't right. I'm thirty-five years older than you. I have power. Though you may not realize it, that's the only reason you're staying with me.'

"Max, I stay with you because I love you. Love doesn't know any number," she sits on my desk and stares at me.

"No, you don't. You have your whole life ahead of you, and I don't. You need to find someone who has something to offer you in the future," I tell her.

She's suddenly hysterical. "You can't do this, Max! You and Hunter are my life! You can't take half of my life away from me! It'll kill me, Max!"

"Natalya, someday you'll see it's for the best," I reassure her.

She opens her mouth to say something, but chokes and covers mouth with her hand. Tears are streaming down her face and she's making horrible, strangled, sobbing sounds.

She runs out and I stare at the door, even after she's gone. I just lost the best thing that's ever happened to me.

**Raven's POV**

I find myself in the training center, beating the crap out of a punching bag. Hot tears are still staining my jumpsuit.

"Raven, are you okay?" the fab four approach me with wide eyes.

"I've had . . . a rough . . . day," I manage to knock the punching bag off the ceiling and I swear loudly in Russian. I kick the fallen punching bag three times before collapsing to the floor in tears.

"Raven, what's wr-"

"Just leave me alone," I shout at the four of them. "Go make sure Hunter's okay or something!"

They scurry away and I sob into my hands. I can't believe that Max . . . dumped me. We have a daughter! He even thought I only loved having power!

I can't believe this is happening.

**Laura's POV**

"When have we seen Raven cry before?" I ask the group.

"When Hunter was in the hospital," Otto suggests.

"When we got her out of mind control and she realized she'd stabbed Dr. Nero," Shelby adds.

"I think that's it," Wing concludes.

"Well, those were about Hunter and Nero, so maybe this is too," I say. "So, if we're here with Hunter and she's fine, it's about Dr. Nero."

"We should go ask him" Otto says and we all head to Dr. Nero's office.

I knock on the door and it opens. "Dr. Nero," Shelby starts, "Do you know why Raven tried to kill a punching bag?"

"We can pull up the footage," I say and I do it before waiting for an answer.

I show him Raven beating the punching bag to a pulp, and he shakes his head. "Don't worry about her. Just stay out of her way for the next few days and let her cool off. Unless of course you want to be decapitated."

**Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Raven's POV**

I check the time and sigh. I have training with Wing in three minutes. I pick Hunter up, and walk toward Max's office. I knock on the door and get no answer.

Professor Pike turns the corner, and I say, "Pike, do you know where Max is?"

"I saw him a few minutes ago in hanger bay," he replies.

"Why is he in hangar bay?" I snap.

"He said something about a G.L.O.V.E. meeting," Pike steps away from me.

I put Hunter in his arms and say, "Don't blow her up."

Then, I start running down the hallway.

**Nero's POV**

"Is everything ready?" I ask the Shroud pilot.

He nods at me, and I start to walk to the loading ramp. "Where are you going?" I hear Raven's voice behind me.

I turn around and lock eyes with her. "A G.L.O.V.E. meeting. Why?"

"Why am I not going with you?" she growls.

"Hunter didn't have a babysitter," I lie.

"What's the real reason I'm not coming with you?"

"I didn't want it to be awkward," I say.

"I've been your bodyguard since I was fourteen-years-old," she hisses. "And you expect me to stop now?"

"Yes," I keep my tone even.

"Fine. Maybe when you're gone, Hunter will get a younger brother or sister. That wouldn't bother you, right?" I grit my teeth and she laughs, before whispering in my ear, "I'm kidding. This time I wouldn't be stupid. This time I'd use birth control. This time I wouldn't be stupid enough to believe he actually loved me." Then, she walks away.

I watch her go. How can she be so seductive when she's so angry? How can she be so seductive when she's using words like those to get under my skin?

"Sir," the pilot starts, "we have to leave now."

"Of course."

**Sorry for the really short chapter. Please review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Nero's POV**

The closer I get to the G.L.O.V.E. meeting place, the more worried I get. Despite the fact that I broke up with Raven, I should've brought her. First, this meeting is in Russia- Anastasia's home base. Second, Raven is the only person I know who has survived an attack from Anastasia. If she can survive in a fight against her, she can protect me from anyone else. Third, Diabolus said this meeting was important, the more important a meeting is, the more likely someone is to get murdered or kidnapped.

I pick up my pace and turn into an alley. I open a side door, and walk in.

Surrounding me are police officers, armed with high-tech guns. "Put your hands on your head. You're under arrest."

I raise my hands and rest them on the back of my head. "Where's the assassin?" the leader asks me.

"What assassin?" I ask.

"Natalya. Where is she?" he asks.

"She's not here," I say. "And we both know that you aren't police officers, so will you drop the act?"

The leader just scowls and tosses a metal cylinder in my direction. The last thing I see is him secure a mask over his nose and mouth.

**Raven's POV**

"What do you mean you lost connection?" I ask one of the people in charge of H.I.V.E. security.

"We lost contact with his Blackbox," he replies.

"Where did you last have a connection?" I question.

"An abandoned building in St. Petersburg, Russia."

I kick the wall, and curse loudly in Russian. "DAMN HER!"

I lean against the wall and take a few deep breaths. "Okay. That must be where the meeting was. See if we have contact with any other members of the G.L.O.V.E. ruling council. Also, send the closest G.L.O.V.E. operatives to the building. See if they can find anything. Make sure they're heavily armed."

"We've lost contact with sixteen out of thirty members of the ruling council," someone tells me.

"Contact all the others and tell them to go to the nearest G.L.O.V.E. safe house, immediately," I instruct. "Except for whoever called for the meeting, send them directly to H.I.V.E."

"Diabolus Darkdoom called for it."

"How far is he from H.I.V.E.?" I ask.

"Three hours max," he tells me.

"Good," I say. "Maybe, he'll get to talk to his son. Until then, double security. We don't want to risk anything happening to the students."

**Nero's POV**

I slowly open my eyes and look at my surroundings. I see about half of the ruling council tied up in the same room as me.

I turn to the woman nearest me. "Are the others here?"

She shrugs. "I don't know. I haven't seen anyone else, but that doesn't mean they aren't in a different room. Did they get Raven too?"

"No, she wasn't with me," I say.

"She's always with you," the woman says.

"Look, it's complicated."

"You risked your life because it's complicated?"

"Yes, I did, because it's very complicated," I snap.

"Hello, Max," Maria and Anastasia walk in the room.

"Oh, god, Maria. You sided with the woman who killed you?" I ask.

"Yes, she did. So, where's your little assassin plaything?" Anastasia says. "And your little baby? What's her name? Hunter?"

"You b-"

"Yes, we know," Maria interrupts me. "And, in case you were wondering, we will kill them both."

They both turn and leave, and I clench my fists. I look at the woman next to me and she says, "You're right. It is very complicated."

**Please review!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Raven's POV**

"Diabolus," I call. "Over here!"

"Natalya, what's going on?" he asks.

"Let's walk and talk," I gesture for him to follow me. "What was so important that you had to call a G.L.O.V.E. meeting?"

"I can't tell you," he says. "It's only for the ruling council."

"Diabolus, Max was kidnapped. I'm just trying to get him back. I need to know."

"I can't, Natalya."

"I know Max better than anyone, I need you to tell me," I insist.

"Dad!" Nigel calls, from down the hallway.

"Hey, Nigel," Diabolus says to him. "Can we talk later? I'm really busy right now."

Sirens start blaring. A group of men dressed in black turn the corner. I give Hunter to Diabolus, and rip my katanas from the sheath on my back.

I advance down the hallway, and all students move out of my way. I switch my katanas to their sharpest setting, and slice at my first opponent. I chop his head clean off. The others have a similar fate.

"Fanchu! Malpense! Trinity! Brand!" I yell. They make their way forward. "You're with me. "Everyone else, get in the classrooms, and lock the doors!"

My possy obediently follows me, and I lead them to the core of H.I.V.E. "Malpense, you and Brand will figure out who infiltrated the school and how they did it. Shelby and Wing, watch my back. Diabolus, make stay with Otto and Laura." I turn my attention to Hunter. "If she dies, and one of you live, then you should expect a fate much worse than death. Do I make myself clear?"

Otto gulps. "Perfectly."

**Laura's POV**

"I think I found something," I say to Otto and Nigel's dad. "The school's security systems were taken over by an organization I've never heard of- the Foundation for World Domination. Weird name."

"F.W.D.," Darkdoom says. "I'm very familiar with it."

"Anyway, the signal that overrided H.I.V.E. security came from an old building in Russia, currently owned by . . . Annabelle and Pete Ranaf. Which is obviously Anastasia and Pietor Furan, but since Pietor is dead-"

"It must be Anastasia."

"Exactly," I conclude. "Otto, do you have anything on how she got the signal through?"

"I'm working on it," he says. His eyes are squeezed shut and he's obviously focusing.

"Do you have the coordinates of the building?" Nigel's dad asks me.

"103 North, 127 East," I reply.

"Anastasia was working with one other person," Otto says suddenly. "I think the name is Maria Amiry."

"Was that the woman Dr. Nero was talking to a few days ago?" I ask Darkdoom.

"Most likely," he informs me.

"They got into the school using a well-disguised electric current. It's extremely difficult to pick up on, so they clearly know what they're doing," Otto's eyes snap open, and he falls back into a chair, gasping.

I rush over and put my hand on his shoulder. "Otto, breathe."

"Sorry, I just felt dizzy for a minute," he rubs his forehead.

"You were searching through high-tech stuff," I say. "Take it easy for a few minutes. I don't want you to pass out."

"Yeah, okay," he says. "I bet you're glad you got your cast off yesterday."

"I'm thrilled," I chuckle. "Now, close your eyes."

Otto does just as Hunter starts to cry. "Want me to hold her?" I ask Diabolus Darkdoom.

"Sure," he places her gently in my arms.

I rock her until she stops crying. She stares up at me.

"I want one."

"What?" Otto sits straight up and rubs his head.

"Calm down," I say. "I meant when I'm older, and out of H.I.V.E."

"You scared me for a second," Otto mutters as he leans back in his chair.

The door opens and Raven, Wing, and Shelby burst through. Wing is nursing a cut in his shoulder, but other than that, everyone is fine.

Nigel's dad beams at Raven. "Raven, we got the coordinates of the glasshouse."

**IMPORTANT: Does anyone know when Deadlock comes out? It might have already come out, but I don't know. If anyone knows **_**PLEASE**_** tell me!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Nero's POV**

"Eat," Anastasia tosses me a sandwich.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," I growl.

"Just do it," she rolls her eyes.

Because I haven't eaten in a day, I eat it. It's stale, as expected, but I'm grateful for the food.

Anastasia pulls a chair in front of me and sits in it. "Where is it?" she asks.

"Where's what?" I question.

"Don't pretend you don't know," she hisses.

"If only I were pretending," I say.

"We have people invading H.I.V.E. as we speak," Anastasia growls. "The first time we sent them in was a setup, and this time your precious little Natalya won't be there to defend the school. We will rip apart any student or teacher who gets in our way. I suggest you start talking."

I clench my fists. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

She kicks me in the side of the head. I hear a slight ringing in my ear. She says, "I have other ways of getting you to talk."

"If it's about the meeting, I have no idea! If you had the courtesy to ambush me after the meeting than I would've known. I wouldn't tell you, but I would know," I say.

She kicks me in the rib cage, and I hear a crack. I gasp. She smiles evilly, and kicks me again, before walking out of the room.

I don't understand how Raven survived weeks of this.

**Raven's POV**

"How far are we from the glasshouse?" I ask the pilot of the Shroud.

"Ten minutes," he replies.

I smile in spite of myself. We actually found the glasshouse. The place where I was trained to kill. The place where my two best friends were murdered. I _will_ kill Anastasia.

I turn to the fifty people that are part of the rescue team. "You all know your orders. Three people for each member of the ruling council who was kidnapped. You know where the entrance is. You know what to do. Show no mercy . . . unless you see a child. I know it sounds ridiculous but don't give them any fatal injuries. They're amazing fighters though, so be careful with them."

I walk over to the two men who are backing me up. One is tall with skin the color of chocolate, and the other is short with _extremely_ pale skin.

"Do you have all the medical supplies?" I ask the short one. He nods.

"Good," I say. "We should be landing in a minute."

The tall one cracks his knuckles anxiously. The Shroud lands and everyone scurries out. After that, everyone splits apart. My group, along with three others, are going in through the roof. I fire my grappler and make it to the roof easily. Everyone else follows me. I find a trap door in a matter of seconds, and swing it open. The room beneath us is exactly where we're supposed to be. About half of the ruling council is tied to poles across the room. The other members of the roof team hop down before me, and I see a few other teams making it to other entrances to the room.

I see Max in one of the corners of the room and make my way over. I slice his cuffs off with my katanas, and squat down in front of him. "Hey."

He grins. "Hey."

He has a large bump on the side of his head, and there's a red stain spreading through his white shirt.

"Max, you're bleeding," I frown, and someone hands me some gauze. I unbutton his shirt and wrap the gauze around his rib cage.

"Natalya, I'm fine," he laughs softly.

I smile. "C'mon, let's get you out of here."

I hear a chuckle from behind me. "What's the hurry, Natalya?"

**Please review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Raven's POV**

I slowly turn around with my hands on my head. Standing before me is Anastasia, a gun in her right hand and a baby in her left. _My_ baby. "Move a muscle, and I'll blow her brains out."

"Y-You wouldn't," Max stutters. "She's-"

"Max," I cut him off. "She would do it without a second thought."

Anastasia grins just as Hunter begins to cry. "How long have you had her?" I ask, suddenly worried.

Anastasia shrugs. "About six hours. We got her right after you left. The school is being held captive."

"She's hungry," I say. "Pike was supposed to feed her three hours ago."

"That's a shame," Anastasia twirls the gun in her fingers. "You know as well as I do that the glasshouse doesn't serve milk."

"Give her to me," I say sternly. Anastasia just laughs.

"I wouldn't dream of it," she places the barrel of the gun against Hunter's forehead and locks a bullet into place.

"Then how are we going to settle this?" I ask.

"The same way we solve anything," Anastasia smiles maliciously. "A fight to the death. You against-"

"Me." A woman that I recognize appears. _Maria._

"Maria, don't be ridiculous," Anastasia snaps.

"I'm not being ridiculous," she crosses her arms.

Anastasia shakes her head. "You want to fight with my most successful student? Go ahead."

Maria steps forward and puts her hand out. "Give me one of your swords."

I take them both out of a sheath on my back and give her one. Anastasia chuckles softly. "Have at it."

**Nero's POV**

Raven and Maria circle each other slowly. Anastasia rolls her eyes and hands places Hunter into my arms. "Hold your stupid baby."

I rock Hunter soothingly but her crying doesn't subside. Babies need to be fed on a regular basis. "Shhh," I whisper to her.

I turn my attention back to the fight, and it sickens me slightly. The only two women I've ever loved are fighting each other to the death.

Maria acts first. She lunges at Raven with the sword, and Raven dodges at the last second. The miss seems to surprise Maria, and Raven takes the opportunity to slash at her face. Maria jumps back, so the blade only grazes her cheek. Maria spins, raises the blade over her head, and brings it down in a perfect arch. It leaves a deep wound in Raven's left shoulder.

She cries out, and Hunter sobs loudly, recognizing her mother's cry of pain.

"It's too bad your daughter will be motherless by the time I'm through with with you," Maria growls. "But the glasshouse could always use more recruits."

"Don't even suggest that!" Raven brings her leg up and kicks Maria squarely in the chest. Maria falls backwards onto the ground and Raven pounces on top of her, sword raised. Maria brings her katana in front of her face, blocking what would've been a fatal blow. She brings her knees up and kicks Raven off of her. Raven rolls onto her back and Maria rolls on top of her. Maria slashes Raven's forehead and Raven growls at her. Their blades collide and Raven forces hers up. It cuts into the side of Maria's neck. Blood pours out of her neck, splattering Raven's face. Maria falls on Raven - the life fading rapidly from her eyes.

Raven pushes Maria away from her and sits up. She takes her katana out of Maria's hand and spits blood - _Maria's blood_ - out of her mouth. Her face is covered in blood, and her shoulder is losing blood slowly but steadily. She stands up and looks around the room.

She lunges at Anastasia's legs, knocking her to the ground. She snarls something in Russian, before kicking Anastasia in the head, successfully knocking her unconscious.

Raven crawls over to where I'm sitting and takes Hunter from my arms. She carefully unzips the top of her jumpsuit and brings Hunter to her chest. She's radiating exhaustion. She leans her head back on the pillar behind us. She closes her eyes.

**Sorry for not updating in a while, and I wish I had a good excuse but I don't! So, I'm sorry for that! Also, last chapter I got my first really negative review. Yes, it hurts, but I appreciate every review I get. If you have constructive criticism, I will take it to heart and try to improve. Please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Raven's POV**

My eyelids slowly flutter open. I'm in the Shroud hospital with Hunter in my lap. I smile down at her, and rock her back and forth. "Hey, Hunter," I coo. "You hungry?"

"She shouldn't be." One of the doctors steps over to me. "We gave her formula about twenty minutes ago."

I nod at him. "Were there any casualties on our side?" I ask, getting down to business.

"None. A few broken bones, but nothing we can't fix. You and Dr. Nero had the worst of it. You have a about thirty-five stitches, and Dr. Nero has two broken ribs. They should heal quickly though."

"Good." I turn my attention back to Hunter. I cradle my daughter in my arms until I hear a new set of footsteps coming down the hallway. Diabolus Darkdoom emerges. He hands my Max's Blackbox and says, "We need to pull a few files from Dr. Nero's Blackbox. You're the only one who knows his password."

"Why can't he do it himself?" I ask.

"He's trying to figure out what to do with Anastasia."

"Kill her," I say. "That's what he ought to do. His password is 7-2-8-3-6, by the way."

Darkdoom studies it carefully. "That's romantic," he muses.

"Why is 7-2-8-3-6 romantic?" I question.

"It spells Raven." He moves so I can see to number screen. You see the letters under each number? It spells Raven."

I shake my head. "Coincidence. He's had that password for age - before we even started . . ." I trail off. "Never mind. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Raven, if something ha-"

"It's nothing," I snap, effectively ending the conversation.

**Nero's POV**

"Um . . . sir. A guard jogs up to me. "Anastasia. She . . . jumped."

"She did what?!"

"She must be dead. No one could survive a fall like that-"

"I know Anastasia. She wouldn't jump unless she had something waiting for her. Figure out how she escaped."

I sigh. I wish I wasn't condemned to bedrest for the next twelve hours.

Raven walks into my hospital room with a giggling Hunter in her arms. She looks at me with a mixture of controlled anger, relief, and sadness.

"Max, you need to take better care of yourself," she scolds. She walks over to me and tilts my head up, to examine my cheek. She immediately draws back, knowing she's not supposed to touch me anymore.

"What about you? You have stitches on your _neck_!"

She shrugs her shoulders. "I'm an assassin. We get hurt."

"Natalya-" I start, but she cuts me off.

"I thought you might want to play with Hunter for a while. You know, because you're not allowed out of bed."

I lean forward to take Hunter from her and wince. She instantly puts her hand on my shoulder. "Max, don't hurt yourself." She places Hunter in my arms. "I hate to say it, but you're not as young as you used to be. Plus, Anastasia beat the crap out of you."

I give her a look and she sighs. "What happened?"

"Anastasia escaped."

She swears loudly in Russian before storming out. I look down at Hunter. "I really hope you don't curse as often as your Mama."

**Please review!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: I don't usually do maturity warnings but for this chapter it seemed necessary.**

**Raven's POV**

I step out of the shower, wrap my bathrobe around myself, and dry my hair with a towel. I step out of my bathroom and freeze. "Hey, Max," I say. "What are you doing here? Is Hunter alright?"

"Yes, she's fine. She's with Laura Brand right now," he replies. "I came to see how you were doing."

"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I lie.

Max has known me long enough to know when I'm lying. "Anastasia . . ."

I lean against the wall. "I could've killed her, Max. I had the opportunity to slit her goddamn throat. And I didn't." I take a deep breath. "Ever since Dmitri and Tolya died, I've promised myself that I'd kill them. Kill them both. Then he died with Overlord . . . and it was just her."

"Natalya, you're not going to like to hear this, but I think I know why you didn't kill her," he says. "She was the closest thing you ever had to a mother. No matter how horrible she was a part of you sees her as a maternal figure."

"No, that's not possible," I say shakily.

"I'm sure you'll kill her in time, Natalya," he reassures. "You just weren't ready yet."

"No no no no no no no no," I repeat. "No no no-"

"Natalya," he puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Why else are you here?" I ask.

He shrugs and drops his hand. It grazes my thigh and I shiver involuntarily. "I missed you," he replies.

"Max, this whole thing is just as hard for me as it is for you," I say.

"Natalya," he whispers and then kisses me.

I cup his neck with my left hand and pull him closer to me. We crash into my dresser and it makes a loud crashing sound as it falls into the wall.

"I love you, Raven," Max says.

"I love you too, Max."

**Nero's POV**

My eyelids flutter open and I look down at Raven. The blankets are pulled up to her chest and she's staring up at me. "Still think this is wrong?" she asks me.

"Yes," I admit. "But we're villains. We're allowed to do the wrong thing."

She rolls her eyes. "Whatever."

Suddenly, there's a pounding on her door. "Who's there?" Raven calls, sitting up.

"Um, Shelby and Wing. You said you'd train with us today."

"Right, just hold on for a minute."

"Okay," Shelby says.

Raven gets out of bed and puts her bathrobe back on before sticking her head out the door. "Now, is not a good time. Tomorrow."

"I have detention with Colonel Francisco tomorrow," Shelby says.

"Fine. We'll do it Wednesday."

"I really wanted to train tod-"

"Look, I'm busy right now," Raven snaps.

"Oh. _Oh_," I can practically see Shelby's grin from the other side of the door. "Tell Dr. Nero I say hi."

"What? That's not what-"

"Sure," Shelby says. "See you Wednesday."

Raven shuts the door and puts her face in her hands. "Well that was mortifying."

"I second that opinion."

**Please review!**


	18. Part Two: Chapter One

**Okay, so if you didn't notice, I changed my username to BooksBeforeLife because obviously I'm no longer strictly a Hunger Games account. This is the first chapter of Part Two which is set when Hunter is five.**

**Nero's POV**

With the sixth-year's graduation in less than a week, the school is practically in chaos and I'm extremely busy with all the diplomas that I have to write. Raven practically has Hunter glued to her hip everyday because she's at the age when she has a tendency to run off.

"Dr. Nero, are you going to miss us?" Shelby Trinity asks me.

"No, but I'm sure Hunter will," I reply, not looking up from my documents. "After all, Laura Brand and you are her favorite babysitters."

"Awww, that's so sweet. She's our favorite kid," Shelby says.

"She's the only child you know," I mutter.

"Papa!" Hunter runs up to me and hops on my lap.

"Hunter, where's Raven?" I ask firmly.

She sighs. "Momma's with Wing, in the training room. She told me to wait in our rooms, but I got bored."

"You have to do what she says," I say. "Do you understand that, Hunter?"

"I'll babysit until Raven and Wing are done," Shelby says. "If that's okay with Hunter."

"Can she, Papa? Please," Hunter begs, bouncing up and down on my lap.

"Yes. Fine," I say. "Just please let me work for a couple hours."

"Not a problem, Dr. N."

"Don't call me that," I mutter as they leave.

**Raven's POV**

Wings squats down low and kicks my legs out from under me, causing me to fall onto the mat. He drops down on top of me, holding my shoulders to the floor with his knees.

"Good job," I say to him as he gets off of me. He offers me a hand and I take it. "You're almost as good as me."

"Almost," he repeats, taking a sip of water.

"Almost," I confirm. "You're graduating on Friday, right?" He nods. "Are you nervous about going back to the real world?"

He shrugs. "I guess. They're teaching us a lot about what to do after graduation. Plus, we're all going to be living in a sort of apartment building until we get on our feet."

I nod. "I know. I'll be there with you for the first couple of days to make sure no one causes trouble."

He bites his lip anxiously. I notice and question, "What's wrong? Is there something I should know about? Are you and your pack up to something again?"

"It's not that," he says. "It's just that I'm worried about Otto and Laura."

"Why? Are they planning on doing something stupid? Did they already do something stupid?"

"Possibly the latter," Wing admits. "I'm worried about what will happen to them if they're right."

"Wing," I touch his shoulder in a comforting way. "What is it?"

"They think Laura's pregnant," he confides.

I drop my hand. "Are you serious?"

"Shelby and I told them to wait until after graduation so they could get supplies, but they didn't. They want to wait until after graduation to check though. They're terrified of what Dr. Nero will do if he finds out."

I shake my head. "They didn't seem like the type of kids who would do something so stupid," I say mostly to myself. "What were they thinking?"

"They don't know for sure yet," Wing says.

"Well, they will soon if I have anything to say about it."

**I hope you enjoyed Chapter One of Part Two. Please review!**


	19. Part Two: Chapter Two

**Raven's POV**

I storm to Otto and Wing's room with a pregnancy test that I stole from the hospital wing in my pocket. I pound on the door and Otto opens it.

"Raven, what are -"

I cut him off. "Where's Laura Brand?"

"In her room down the hall. Why?"

"Come with me," I say in reply and drag him to the room.

"Raven, what's going on?" he asks.

I knock on Laura's door and pull the pregnancy test out of my pocket. "She needs to take the goddamn test."

His mouth opens, then closes, then opens again. "Wing told you?"

"That boy is not good at hiding his emotions," I reply.

Laura opens the door instantly pales at the sight of me, Otto, and the test. I pull Otto into the room and close the door behind me before turning my attention to Laura. "I know what an unplanned pregnancy is like. You need to take the test right now."

Laura nods mutely and walks into her bathroom. I whack Otto on the side of the head.

"What was that for!?" he asks, rubbing his head.

"Do you honestly think I'd believe that this whole thing was her idea? What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that I was in love with her and want to be with her in every way I can," he answers.

"You're eighteen-years-old! Show some restraint," I shout. "Now you might be stuck with a baby, and you're still teenagers! I was twenty-nine when Hunter was born. Ten years older than she'll be!"

"I know it was stupid, but I'm fully prepared to face to consequences," he says.

"Damn right, you are," I growl. "Because if she's pregnant and you try to back out of the responsibility, I will not hesitate to decapitate you!"

Laura walks out of the bathroom nervously. "How long does it take until we get the answer?"

"Fifteen minutes," I reply.

She sits down next to Otto on the bed and I pace back and forth across the room. Finally I say, "What do you plan on doing if it's positive?"

"Become parents," Otto answers.

"That's not what I meant."

"We'll graduate, stay at the safe house for as long as possible, and then move into an apartment together while pursuing our careers in villainy."

"That is a much better answer," I say. "You're Alphas, you'll be great villains one day and this might just be an obstacle to overcome."

The timer on my Blackbox beeps and I go in the bathroom to check for them. When I walk back out I nod.

Laura drops her head in her hands and Otto wraps his arm around her shoulders.

**Nero's POV**

"Thank you for informing me, Dr. Scott," I say and turn my Blackbox off.

Raven walks into my office and I stare at her with suspicion. "Are you pregnant, Natalya?" I ask her.

"What? No," she replies.

"Then why did you steal a pregnancy test from Dr. Scott's office?"

She bites her lip. "It wasn't for me."

"Natalya, who's pregnant?" I question. "If it's one of my students -"

"Brand," she says, cutting me off. "It's Laura Brand. She's pregnant."

**Please review!**


	20. Part Two: Chapter Three

**Nero's POV**

"This is horrible," I say, rubbing my temples. "This has never happened in the history of H.I.V.E."

"Max, no one needs to know when exactly she got knocked up," Raven reminds me. "We can just say that it happened when they got to the safehouse. We can arrange for them to see our most trusted doctors, make sure the people who know never tell, and H.I.V.E. doesn't get blamed."

I take a deep breath. "That's a good plan. I'll handle finding a doctor; you make sure everyone who knows keeps their mouth shut."

"You see, there's no need to panic," Raven says soothingly, putting a hand on my shoulder. "H.I.V.E. will be fine."

"Yes," I agree. "Now, let's divide and conquer. I'll make a few calls and you deal with . . . the students."

**Raven's POV**

I walk into the training center and see Laura, Otto, Wing, Shelby, and Hunter. The second Hunter sees me she jumps off of Shelby's lap and starts running toward me. "Mama!" she shouts and jumps into my arm.

"Hey, sweetie," I say, kissing the top of her head.

"Auntie Shelby and Auntie Laura did my hair," she gushes.

"They aren't your aunts, Hunter. We've been over this," I say.

"Yes, they are!" Hunter insists.

"Okay, then."

I approach the group of teens. They look sullen. "I need to talk to all of you."

"About what?" Hunter asks.

"Grown-up stuff," I reply.

Hunter frowns. "I _hate_ grown-up stuff."

I turn my attention back to the group. "You can't tell anyone," I instruct. "Once it becomes obvious, you say that it happened after you got to the safehouse. Do I make myself understood?"

They all nod nervously. A tear trails down Laura cheek. Hunter squirms in my arms, and I set her down.

She runs over to Laura and wraps her arms around Laura's neck. "Auntie, don't cry! It's going to be okay!"

Laura hugs Hunter back. "Don't worry about me, Hunter. I'll be fine."

"C'mon, Hunter." I pick her up. "Laura's just a little bit upset. Let's go see what your dad is up to, okay?" I look back at the group of teenagers. "Oh, and Laura. You're going to be a fine mother."

Before she can respond, I'm out the door and walking toward Max's office.

**I'm SO sorry for taking so long to update! Please review!**


	21. Part Two: Chapter Four

**And once again I took far too much time to update. So sorry. Also, I finally read Deadlock and it is SO good!**

**Raven's POV**

"Raven!" A voice calls from behind me. I spin around and see Franz and Nigel.

"Yes?" I reply.

"We are being worried about Laura," Franz informs me. "She is seeming very nervous."

"I'm sure Ms. Brand is fine," I lie. "Anyway, I don't understand what you think you could do about it."

"But Momma -" Hunter tugs on my sleeve. "- we just talked to Laura. She's not fine. She's sad about grown-up stuff."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Hunter," I say sternly. I look back over at Nigel and Franz. "Don't worry about your friend," I tell them. "And don't share your worries with her. While I'm sure she'd appreciate your concern, she has a lot on her plate right now."

"What exactly does she have on her plate?" Nigel questions.

"She's probably worried about graduation. It's in three days, after all. Leave her be. Understood?"

They both nod, and I take it as my cue to walk away.

I pull Hunter into a storage room and bend down so I'm face-to-face with the girl. "Hunter, listen to me," I order. She stares at me, not saying anything. "You're right that Laura is upset. She's very worried about something important. But I need you not to tell _anyone_ except your father and I that Ms. Brand's not completely normal right now. Can you do that for me?"

She nods, then bursts into tears. "Momma, is Auntie gonna be okay?" she sobs.

"Yes, Hunter." I lift her into my arms. "She'll be fine. You'll understand when you're older."

"O-Okay, Momma."

**Wing's POV**

"You're late," Shelby snaps as Otto walks in the room.

"I know," Otto says as he sits in Shelby's desk chair. "I got hung up talking to Professor Pike. Sorry."

"But you said you'd be here ten minutes ago." The corners of Shelby's mouth twitch upward. "You sit on a throne of lies."

"I sit on a throne of lies?" Otto raises his eyebrow playfully. "So, this chair is a throne of lies?"

"I'm afraid so," Shelby tells him.

"So, if I moved to Laura's desk chair -" He does as suggested. "- I wouldn't be sitting on a throne of lies anymore?"

"No, you still would. The throne would follow you," Shelby explains in a joking matter.

"So it's only a metaphorical throne of lies?" Otto's smile is obvious.

"Yes." Shelby grins.

I stare at the two of them, uncomprehendingly. "I don't understand," I say.

"You wouldn't, big guy." She pecks me on the cheek.

I blink at her. "Didn't we have more important things to discuss?"

Her face hardens. "Yes." She turns to Otto. "I'm worried about Laura. I'm afraid she might do something . . . drastic."

"Are you insinuating she might harm herself?" I question my girlfriend.

She nods. Otto says, "I'm worried too. I don't know how to help her through this."

"At least one of us needs to be watching her all the time," Shelby insists. "She's my best friend. I don't know what I'd do - how I'd live -" Her voice breaks and I wrap my arms around her waist.

"It's okay. We'll make sure that Laura stays safe.

She nods. "We have to."

**Sorry for the wait. Please review!**


	22. Part Two: Chapter Five

**Nero's POV**

Today is the day. All the students move up a year. The sixth years get their diplomas. Professor Pike has to explain to them the new technology. I have to deal with half of them getting drunk right after they get to the safehouse. It's a very stressful day for me.

"Daddy!" Hunter runs up to me and hops on my lap. "Momma says I get to go with her to the safehouse, just like last year!"

"Yes, you do. Promise me you'll stay out of trouble while you're there," I say.

"I will, Daddy," she promises. "Plus, Momma will be there to watch over me."

"You're mother can do things that are unbelievable, but she has all the graduating students to watch over too, Hunter. You can't run off. Ever. Otherwise, you could get hurt, and won't be allowed to go anymore."

"I know, Daddy. Momma already told me," she says.

"Where is your mother, anyway?" I ask my daughter.

"She's wrestling with Wing," she informs me. Which reminds me of something I've been meaning to ask her.

"Hunter, are you behind on your sparring lessons?" I question.

She looks at the ground. "I'm sorry, Daddy."

"You need to get back on a regular schedule," I instruct. "You'll start up again when you get back from the safehouse."

"Yes, Daddy," she says.

"Good. Now if you don't need anything, I have a lot of things to get done in the next few hours."

**Otto's POV**

I'm finally graduating. After six years. It's hard to believe that when I first got here, all I wanted to do was escape. I didn't even have anywhere to go back to. Now, I have Laura. If I had managed to escape, we might never have gotten together. And now there's baby . . .

I shake the thought out of my head. I can't think about that until after I graduate. Which is only a few minutes away . . .

"What are you most looking forward to?" I ask Wing, Shelby, and Laura.

Shelby laughs. "Real clothes," she replies.

"I'll get to see my family again," Laura says. "Although I'm worried what they'll say about . . . you know."

"Laura." I wrap my arm around her waist. "They're your family. They won't care." I quickly peck her on the lips.

Shelby groans. "Get a room. Seriously." I see Wing crack a smile.

"You're just jealous," I tease.

Shelby snorts. "In your dreams."

"It's okay, Shel. You can admit it. We won't judge you," I promise.

She just rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go graduate."


End file.
